The present invention is directed to manually operable devices which facilitate the processes of lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving of such articles as appliances, boxes, cartons, building materials, construction materials, gardening products, furniture, landscaping supplies, lumber, and metal or nonmetal piping, etc. The aforementioned reference to specific types of articles to be lifted, carried, or otherwise moved is not to be construed as limiting the invention to those articles. On the contrary, the present invention can be utilized to lift, carry, or otherwise move a great variety of different types and sizes of articles and objects other than those referenced above.
The lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving of objects of varying sizes, weights, and configurations are fundamental aspects of normal human existence. Many who are not able to perform these functions adequately are severely restricted in their personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, the human body is often not well adapted to withstand, without injury, pain, or discomfort, many forces, strains, and pressures that are often a fundamental and inescapable part of the lifting, carrying, and other moving processes.
For this primary reason, the improper lifting, carrying, and other moving of even relatively lightweight, conventionally shaped, or awkwardly shaped articles or objects can and often does result in severe back and other bodily injuries and lifetime problems with lower back pain, etc. for the affected party. Heavy objects may pose even greater risks and problems. While some of these injuries, and their effects, can be healed or otherwise mitigated in their preliminary effects and ultimate consequences, many result in irreversible physical and emotional damage. Often those who cannot adequately perform functions related to the normal ability to lift, carry, or otherwise move articles or objects may be classified as temporarily or permanently disabled.
Whether such injuries that accrue, or are suffered, from the improper lifting and carrying or movement of articles or objects are temporary or permanent, the collective results are reflected in tremendous, and often unnecessary, economic, individual and societal costs.
On a personal level such injuries may result in temporary or permanent disabilities that preclude, or seriously limit, the injured party from engaging in activities that are a normal and meaningful part of human activities. The physical limitation imposed by these injuries can, and quite often does, have serious emotional consequences as well.
Within a work environment such injuries may result in temporary or permanent disabilities or limitations which preclude, or seriously limit, the ability of the affected party to fully or partially engage in those activities that are a normal part of the affected party""s job description.
These limitations often result in decreased workplace productivity and flexibility and tremendous Workers"" compensation costs. The aggregate nationwide costs associated with decreased worker productivity and Workers"" compensation claims are enormous. According to recent figures from the Texas Workers"" Compensation Commission the costs of medical treatments (payments relating to workers injured on the job) to doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, dentists, occupational therapists, hospitals, and others totaled nearly 963.9 million dollars in 1998 alone. This figure does not include other significant costs (such as disability payments to the injured party) which result from workplace injuries. While not all these costs are the result of injuries resulting from the lifting, carrying, or other moving of articles or objects, assuming that a significant portion of these costs is attributable to injuries performed during the performance of those activities is logical.
Within a societal context the consequences of such injuries can be staggering. Limited resources may be diverted to the rehabilitation and treatment of those who have suffered, or are suffering, the consequences of injuries incurred while lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving articles or objects.
There are millions of disabled and other Americans who are excludable, or excluded, from jobs because they are unable to satisfactorily meet the physical requirements that may be involved in many lifting, carrying, and moving processes. When fully and correctly utilized, the present invention can mitigate existing physical limitations, more fully utilize physical abilities to accomplish assigned tasks, and minimize the likelihood of future injuries that will limit a vocational and vocational activities.
An extremely important aspect of the present invention is that it helps maximize the use of available strength relative to the accomplishment of desired tasks. By doing this the present invention opens employment and recreational opportunities for millions of Americans who are too weak to lift, carry or otherwise move articles or objects in traditional manners.
The widespread use of the present invention can enhance workplace productivity by making a higher and more efficient utilization of the work force possible. This may be accomplished in substantial part by facilitating the integration of many injured individuals, individuals susceptible to injury, or disabled individuals, into their previous or other jobs by substantially lessening the physical demands, and attendant risks, of many employment tasks that include lifting, carrying or moving elements.
The use of the present invention can also enable single parent families and the increasing millions of older Americans to be more fully integrated into independent living lifestyles. Independent living can be characterized by the ability to do, and engage in, those activities that are a normal part of human existence without assistance. The lifting, carrying, and otherwise moving of different articles or objects are fundamentally related to those activities. Because the present invention makes it easier to lift, carry, and otherwise move articles and objects such as furniture and groceries within the home, and to and from the home, senior citizens and single mothers can be less dependent on others. By using the present invention, often hard to find helpers may be dispensed with while accomplishing the desired task(s). This increases independence and decreases dependence.
The widespread use of the present invention may also make enormous contributions to the cause of integrating disabled and physically limited Americans into normal personal and professional activities, lifestyles, and jobs that may involve the lifting, carrying, or moving of articles or objects.
For many reasons it is eminently more sensible to prevent injuries than to attempt, often without success, to cure or mitigate them. This is best done by accomplishing the objective of enabling the assigned task or tasks to be completed while simultaneously removing the need to engage in the types of lifting, carrying, and moving behavior that commonly results in injuries. This use of the present invention greatly facilitates the accomplishment of that objective by fundamentally changing the way in which articles and objects can be lifted, carried, or otherwise moved.
It is hoped that an increased awareness of the principals demonstrated in the present invention will result in the widespread use of this device and that such use will fundamentally change the way articles and objects are handled and packaged as well as the way that such articles and objects are subsequently lifted, carried, or otherwise moved.
It is also hoped that there will be fundamental and widespread changes in the manner that lifting, carrying, and other moving are commonly performed in order to take advantage of the value of this device and minimize much of the pain, suffering, and human misery that so often accompany avoidable, and unnecessarily incurred, workplace and non work place injuries.
If articles and objects are manufactured in such a manner as to optimally interface with the use of the present invention there can be an immensely greater reduction in the work and non-workplace injuries which are normally attributable to the lifting, carrying, or moving process.
This device facilitates the accomplishment of many of the above referenced objectives of reducing injuries, or mitigating the adverse impact of injuries, relating to the carrying, lifting, and moving processes. The present invention does this by fundamentally changing the way many articles and objects can be lifted, carried, or otherwise moved. This will be explained in detail in the following text and the description of the preferred forms of the present invention.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and unobvious device for the lifting, carrying or otherwise moving of articles or objects of differing configurations, sizes, and weights.
Another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a device that permits an individual to lift, carry, or otherwise move relatively heavy or awkwardly shaped articles or objects without the assistance of others.
A further object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an article mover that permits an individual or individuals to lift, carry or otherwise move articles or objects with the individual""s arm, or arms, fully or virtually fully, extended.
A further object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an article mover that permits an individual or individuals to lift, carry or otherwise move articles or objects that would not be within the user""s capabilities without the use of the device.
A further object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an article mover that permits an individual or individuals to lift, carry or otherwise move articles or objects in such a manner as to minimize the risk of injury during the execution of those tasks.
A further object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an article mover that permits an individual or individuals to engage in lifting, carrying or otherwise moving articles or objects that would not normally be within the user""s parameters of acceptable task execution risks without the use of the device.
A further object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an article mover that enables an individual or individuals to lift, carry or otherwise move articles or objects across surfaces of varying elevational levels that would not conveniently or otherwise be within the user""s capabilities without the use of the device.
An object of the present invention is to provide an article mover that permits an individual or individuals to lift, carry or otherwise move articles or objects across surfaces of equal or varying elevational levels while the individuals feet remain totally, or virtually totally, stationary.
An object of the present invention is to provide an article mover that permits an individual or individuals to lift, carry or otherwise move articles or objects across, or from and to, surfaces of equal or varying elevational levels while moving the optimally minimal amount while engaging in task execution.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an article mover that permits an individual or individuals to lift, carry or otherwise move articles from one area to another area while the individual""s feet remain totally, or virtually totally, stationary.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an article mover that permits an individual or individuals to lift, carry or otherwise move articles or objects to and from secondary surfaces such as, but not limited to, assembly lines, pallets, or shelves.
Yet a further object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a device that can be used to lift, carry or otherwise move a wide variety of types and sizes of articles and objects.
A further object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an article mover that permits an individual or individuals to lift, carry or otherwise move articles or objects which have primary mover contact surfaces which are at varying distances from the surface the object is to be lifted, carried, or otherwise moved from.
Still another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an article mover that can be readily used by a plurality of operators to lift, carry or otherwise move large, awkwardly shaped, and heavy objects.
Yet another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that can be readily adjusted to meet the particular requirements for lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving a given object.
Yet another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that has a foot or feet attached to the base which can be adjusted in length to meet the particular requirements for lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving a given object.
Yet another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that has a foot or feet attached to the base which can be adjusted in width to meet the particular requirements for lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving a given article or object.
Yet another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that has a foot or feet attached to the base which can be adjusted in length and width to meet the particular requirements for lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving a given article or object.
Yet another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device with a component or components that can be readily adjusted to meet the particular physiological needs or limitations of the individual or individuals engaged in the lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving of a given article or object.
Yet another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device with a component or components that can be readily adjusted to meet the particular psychological needs or limitations of the individual or individuals engaged in the lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving of a given article or object.
Yet still another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that has at least one element that can be readily adjusted to meet changing requirements for lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving a given article or object.
Yet still another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that has at least one element that can be readily adjusted to meet changing requirements for lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving a plurality of articles or objects.
Still yet another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device with interchangeable elements such as bases, handles, or handle grips, so that an individual or individuals can readily select the element, or various elements, needed to more optimally lift, carry, or otherwise move a particular article or object.
Still yet a further object of one aspect of the invention is to provide a device that enables the user or users to easily and quickly move the user""s hand or hands to different vertical positions on the device to more readily accommodate the efficient lifting, carrying, or other movement of different articles or objects.
Another object of one aspect of the invention is to provide a device that enables the user or users to have their right and left hands simultaneously placed in different vertical planes on the device and relative to the base of the device while using the device.
A further object of one aspect of the invention is to provide a device that enables the user or users to have the user""s right and left hands simultaneously placed on the same vertical plane on the device while using the device.
Yet a further object of one aspect of the invention is to provide a device that enables the user or users to easily and quickly move the user""s hand or hands to different vertical positions on the device to more readily accommodate the more efficient movement of objects across differing elevational surfaces.
Yet still another object of one aspect of the invention is to provide a device that enables the user to avoid or minimize the bending over and straightening up movements which are a normal part of many lifting, carrying, or other moving process(es).
Yet still another object of one aspect of the invention is to provide a device that enables the user to avoid or minimize the risk of injury, or reasonably lessen the level of potential injury, resulting from the bending over and straightening up movements which are a normal part of many lifting, carrying, or other moving process(es).
Still another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device which enables the user or users to lift a given article or object to be moved the optimally least vertical distance necessary for task execution.
Still yet another object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that can be effectively utilized with one or two hands of the device operator engaged with the device.
A further object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that can be used by a plurality of operators while either or all operators, or any combination thereof, have their bodies facing in the direction of, or facing away from, the article or object to lifted, carried or otherwise moved.
A further object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that can be used by a plurality of operators while either or all operators, or any combination thereof, may individually have one hand or both hands engaged with the device.
A further object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that can be used by a plurality of operators while either or all operators, or any combination thereof, may simultaneously be on different elevational levels while the article or object is being lifted, carried or otherwise moved.
Still a further object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device which can be used in tandem while either or both operators are moving the article or object across unlevel surfaces.
Still a further object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device which contains at least one handle or handle section with at least one angled portion, which can be used, in conjunction with a handle grip or handle grips, in such a manner as to keep the operators hand or hands from being in any contact with any portion of the object being lifted, carried, or otherwise moved.
Yet still a further object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a device that can be used to lift, carry or otherwise move a variety of objects having bottom surfaces which are at highly varying distances above the floor, ground or other support surface.
Many of these and other objects of the present invention will be readily apparent upon a review of the following detailed description of the preferred form of the invention and the accompanying drawings. These objects are not exhaustive and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed invention.
In summary, the present invention is directed to a novel and unobvious article mover for lifting, carrying, or otherwise moving articles and objects such as appliances, boxes, building materials, bulk pet food, cartons, construction materials, furniture, gardening products, landscaping supplies, lumber, and metal or nonmetal piping, etc. In one form of the present invention, the article mover includes a base, a handle and at least two handle grips to provide the individual with greater flexibility in positioning his or her hands on the article mover to lift, carry, or otherwise move a given article or object. In another form of the present invention, the article mover includes a base, a handle, a handle grip that intersects the handle at an angle, and at least one other fixed handle grip positioned along the handle, to provide the individual with greater flexibility in positioning his or her hands on the article mover to lift, carry, or otherwise move a given article or object. In a further form of the present invention, the article mover includes a base, a handle, a handle grip that intersects the handle at an angle, and at least one other movable handle grip positioned along the handle, to provide the individual with greater flexibility in positioning his or her hands on the article mover to lift, carry, or otherwise move a given article or object. In still another form of the present invention, the article mover is provided with a base, a handle and at least one moveable handle grip which again provides the individual with greater flexibility in locating his or her hands relative to the article or object to be lifted, carried, or otherwise moved. In a further form of the present invention the article mover includes a base, a handle and at least one handle grip. In this form of the invention, at least one element of the device is removable from the other components to allow an individual to readily substitute parts or vary the position of one part relative to another to make a given lifting, carrying, or other moving task easier.